


Something stronger than blood

by Beleriandings



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-11-04 23:10:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11000964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beleriandings/pseuds/Beleriandings
Summary: Prompt: Original dragons, “I’ve never killed anyone before”.





	Something stronger than blood

“I’ve never killed anyone before!”

Zeno didn’t know quite why he had said it just then - or why he had said it at all, really - but it made the others all turn to him; Shuten with a raised eyebrow, Guen with a look of concern, Abi’s golden gaze seeming to look right through him in that vaguely unsettling way he had.

Even the king turned, coming back from where he was leading them all back to the camp, through the wounded soldiers picking their way across what had become a battlefield, after the king and his company had been attacked by bandits on the road as they returned to the castle.

It had appeared to be just a chance encounter, but Zeno, like most everyone else, had his doubts about that. It seemed far more likely that it had been an assassination attempt, if a rather heavy-handed and inept one. Such things were commonplace parts of their lives now, and he was learning to practically expect them, lately. As he should if he wanted to keep the king safe, he was also quickly realising.

Not that Zeno himself had much of an active role in keeping the king safe. Despite the sword lessons that Guen made him suffer through - it was for his own good, and that of King Hiryuu, but Zeno still hated the heavy armour and blunted sword made for someone much larger than him - he still wouldn’t have felt anything like able to fight, even if his life depended on it. Possibly even if the king’s life depended on it; he supposed the dragon’s blood might bring him to do something at that point, but he was far from optimistic about his chances of being any real help in such a situation.

So far though, it had never actually come to that. The others were all too quick, protecting the king and Zeno along with him. And as much as the idea of killing another living person turned Zeno’s stomach, he couldn’t deny that he felt a gnawing sense of guilt that they were putting themselves in harm’s way in his stead.

After all, wasn’t this what he had agreed to when he had stood his ground before the great golden dragon god and accepted the blood? Hadn’t killing been part of the deal, if only by implication?  

Zeno had often wondered, since then, quite what he had got himself into. But unfortunately for him, he could not longer ask the dragon god directly; the voices that had been there his whole life were gone now, a very disconcerting feeling in itself.

But he did have his brothers now; them and the king. The trust he felt for them was implicit and bone-deep. That, he supposed, was why he had said it. It needed to be out in the open, in case they were still assuming he was hiding some great, secret prowess as a warrior; they needed to know that he couldn’t defend himself like they could, or he would continue to feel as though he was lying by omission.

He looked around at their faces desperately, and said it again. “I’ve never killed anyone before.” Zeno fidgeted awkwardly with the hilt of his small sword in its scabbard. “Ah… I just…. thought you should know….”  

Shuten stared at him, pausing in wrapping the cloth around the bloody gash in his sleeve, and then, to Zeno’s surprise, gave a short, incredulous laugh. “……Did you think we assumed you _had_?”  

Zeno blinked. “Um. Maybe?”

Guen shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ah. No offence meant to your technique with a sword…. it’s getting better, but….”

“You’re not very good at fighting” said Abi, flatly. “Is what he means to say.”  

“Now, Seiryuu!” said Guen hastily, raising his hands before him. “Zeno’s been improving, but….”

“Oh hush. I didn’t mean it as an insult; _I_ had never killed anyone before I met you people, either” said Abi, rather primly. He tapped a finger thoughtfully against his chin. “Though, admittedly now my power makes me stronger than any of you, so perhaps that isn’t the best comparison…”

“You collapse on the battlefield, my sweet” said Shuten with a teasing grin, raising his hands to ward off Abi’s withering glare. “What! It’s true!”

“ _Be that as it may_ ” said Guen, raising his voice and adopting the slightly weary tone he used when he was talking over Abi and Shuten, as happened rather often, “it doesn’t change anything.” Guen looked down as Zeno; with his imposing height and strength, hair and clothes stained rusty red with drying blood and the shimmering scales and knife-sharp claws of his dragon hand, his dented plate armour and scar-seamed skin that spoke of many past battles, Zeno knew that only a year ago the sight of Guen would have terrified the life out of him. Now though, his oldest brother was a source of comfort, a safe place in an uncertain world. Strange how things like that could change so quickly.

“…Do you understand, Zeno?”

Zeno nodded, slowly. “I…. yes, I suppose…  maybe…”

“I don’t think any of us were under any illusion that he was some fearsome warrior from the start” Shuten said, “unless you’re really hiding something big from us, in which case I want to see! ….But I doubt it.”

Zeno merely shook his head, a mixture of relief and confusion washing over him. “Ah…. you’re….. you’re not angry that I didn’t tell you? That I’m this…” he cast around for the right word, and when it came, he said it very quietly, “…useless?”

“Zeno” said Hiryuu gently, turning back on the path to face him. “Not killing isn’t the same thing as being useless. You know that, don’t you?”

“I…. of course!” Zeno nodded quickly. He had been a priest before, and he had always been peaceful, shying away from violence; even killing small animals had always turned his stomach. There was still something troubling him though. “But…. um…. my king? If the dragon god gave me the blood, was I not… ah…. supposed to help to protect you?” He balled his hands into fists, squaring his shoulders. “I _want_ to protect you!”

A very gentle, sad smile crossed the king’s face then, which struck Zeno to the heart. “I know” said Hiryuu, laying a hand on his shoulder. “And I am glad to have you at my side. But in my time in this world, I’ve found that there are many different types of battlefield, many of which certainly don’t involve killing. And I think that I will need you all with me on each and every one of them.” Hiryuu spread his hands before him, smiling a little at Zeno’s confused expression. “Or at least, if you’re looking for an explanation, that’s my best attempt.”

“That really didn’t make much sense, King” said Shuten.

“He’s speaking metaphorically” explained Abi.

“Granted, but it still didn’t make much sense.”

Guen gave a sigh. “What I think they’re trying to say is….” he looked around at the others. “Oh, never mind. It’s hopeless. But know this, Zeno. I want to say that you’ll never have to kill if you don’t want to. But I can’t, because it might be a lie, so I won’t make you that promise. But what I _can_ say is that we will always be there to protect you, as long as the four dragon warriors live in this world.” He ruffled Zeno’s hair with his left hand, skin rough and callused, but reassuringly ordinary. “You’re our little brother, after all.”

Abi nodded in agreement, as Shuten grinned. “Just like Hakuryuu, that speech was…. terribly sentimental. But also, he’s onto something, I think.”  

“My dragons. You’re all so good to each other.”

They all turned to look at King Hiryuu then, ready to argue that point, but suddenly they all found the words melt away; he was smiling so brightly. But there was also sadness there, and not for the first time Zeno wondered if the king knew or guessed what battles the future might bring. Still, in that moment, with the others all around him and the today’s battle behind him, Zeno realised that he felt entirely, inexplicably, safe.


End file.
